Rossi loses CAS case, to start last

The controversy has caused huge ructions in Spain and Italy, where Rossi is one of the most popular and high profile sportsmen.

Rossi has a lead of seven points over Jorge Lorenzo of Spain ahead of the last race on Sunday at Valencia.

Who needs what to win the title?

If Lorenzo finishes lower than ninth, then Rossi will be world champion. The two-time MotoGP™ World Champion admits though it is now time for all of the talking to stop and for him to get focused on Sunday’s race if he is to lift his third title: “Well we have to respect the decision that they decided”.

Jorge Lorenzo is seven points behind Rossi with 25 on offer for a win.

“Unfortunately starting from last is going to make everything a lot more hard”, said Rossi.

How did it come to this?

Asked if he had any regrets about Sepang, Marquez replied: “I just regret that I didn’t finish the race for my team”.

The incident in Malaysia has triggered one of the sport’s biggest and most bitter controversies, with no love lost between Rossi and Marquez while Yamaha and Honda have waded in to support their riders. “That is something not proven by the investigation of the Race Direction”. I understand perfectly that Valentino has a championship in play. Lorenzo himself had filed a “Request for Intervention” in order to be able to participate in this CAS arbitration but that was denied.

Rossi and Marquez battling out off the track!!

The Court of Arbitration for Sport said its single judge found that conditions to freeze Rossi’s sanction by the worldwide Motorcycling Federation were not met.

In a packed news conference in Valencia on Thursday, all three protagonists spoke to the media.

Marquez said he would abide by that, but stood by his post-race criticisms of Rossi. Naturally all marriages have a few moments of disagreement but our relationship in the future will be the same.

“But I am here and we have to try the maximum and stay concentrated, try to do good work during the weekend and arrive competitive as fast as possible for the race”.

A British champion at last?

The Valencia GP saw the traditional Pre-Event press conference cancelled to allow the Permanent Bureau of the FIM MotoGP™ World Championship to address the entire MotoGP™ field after the incident in Sepang.

The Italian has claimed he has “no chance” of winning an eighth top-tier championship if the penalty remains in place.

2006 – Rossi went into the final race of the season with an eight-point lead over Honda rider Nicky Hayden and looking for a fifth title in a row.